Your Commander-in-Chief – Chapter 156

It started off well.

Before meeting the Exorcist Guild, that is.

“Arthur! Why, why are you with those wicked demons?”

A desperate scream erupted.

I frowned and drew my sword.

Blocking our party was Andersen from the Exorcist Guild.

He seemed to be hunting here as part of his dungeon quest as well.

Wearing a murky dark-blue robe, his bloodshot eyes gleamed as he drew his twin swords.

He looked ready to charge at any moment.

“Arthur. Do you know him?”

“Ah…”

Arthur’s smile faded away. She sighed as if she had a headache and clutched her head.

“Y-Yeah, he’s one of the Human Clan. We often run into each other in faction wars.”

“So you’re not close?”

“Right.”

I nodded at Arthur’s confirmation and gestured to Iyap and Chloe, who were standing behind me.

Chloe slightly pulled back the distance, activating buffs to enhance our party.

Iyap also smoothly disappeared into the shadows, ready to assassinate the enemy at any moment.

Helena began getting ready to fight as well, crimson flames rising from her red robe enveloping her body.

Calmly, I took stock of the Exorcist Guild’s party composition.

One twin-sword warrior, one paladin tank, two wizards, and one healer.

“Arthur! Get over here!”

Andersen’s bloodshot gaze turned towards Arthur. As he screamed as if vomiting blood, Arthur’s face turned pale.

I stepped forward, pointing my sword at him.

“Don’t you remember what happened back then? Want to get flattened and killed again?”

“H-Haha! Ahahaha!”

The tense atmosphere before charging vanished. A smile bloomed on his face that looked like it was about to explode with rage any second.

The huge laugh that burst forth while looking up at the sky sent chills down my spine.

“I am… I am the representative of the gods. I serve the gods. Would I fear death?”

The laughter slowly faded from Andersen’s face.

He swung his twin swords, forming a cross shape in the air.

I let out a sigh at that sight.

After having a run-in with the Exorcist Guild, I had researched information about them thoroughly.

As a result, I found out that this Andersen fellow was an important officer of the Exorcist Guild, and that his character’s inspiration was a character from a very old comic book.

A considerable amount of time has passed since back then. Andersen had surely transcended his equipment using the Transcendence Stone.

This encounter was different from the first. I couldn’t expect to overpower him with sheer stats this time.

The tension in the air escalated. Both sides lowered their stances, ready to pounce at any moment.

I whispered quietly to Arthur.

“Arthur. If fighting gets tough, you don’t have to jump in.”

“What…?”

“We’re from the same Human Clan.”

Though she belonged to our party, Arthur was still a user from the Human Clan faction.

Since she looked like she knew Andersen, it would be awkward for them to fight.

But it didn’t seem like she would join Andersen’s side either.

“Umm…”

After a long moment of hesitation, Arthur finally drew her sword.

I looked up at her, dazed.

The sword radiating with divine power was aimed at Andersen.

“Ah, Arthur! You’ve given up on being human! Ultimately, you’ve succumbed to the wicked Satan, Lucifer! The honor of a proud knight has vanished! You are, you are!!!”

At Arthur’s hostile actions, Andersen’s eyes flipped.

He charged at me, mouth wide open like a real madman.

I smiled brightly at that sight.

Arthur didn’t choose a crazy person like Andersen. She chose me, the small, cute me.

She was almost there. If I coaxed her just a bit more, maybe Arthur would truly reincarnate as a demon.

Not just Arthur. If she came over, the guild members under her would surely follow as well.

“Heretic!!!”

Crash!

I dashed ahead faster than anyone, blocking Andersen’s attack. His swung twin swords struck my Demon Sword.

“Lucifer!!!”

The attack was pretty heavy. He must have boosted his Ether levels and equipment to a higher grade.

My prediction became a certainty. I stepped aside, letting his strength pass by.

As I felt the power drain from my hand, his twin swords scraped against the blade of my Demon Sword.

Kaga-kang-!

“Not Lucifer.”

I said as I deflected the attack. I then manipulated my costume spear to equip the demon wings.

Flap-!

The gigantic wings opened wide behind me, blocking all the scorching sunlight.

“I am the Demon Lord.”

I moved my wings to obstruct his view. Seizing the moment when Andersen was confused, I struck with a sudden attack.

Boom-!

“Ugh, kkh!”

The attack wasn’t successful. The cross he made with his twin swords accurately blocked my thrust attack.

“You’ve revealed your true form… You wicked one…”

Clang! Kwang! Clang!

The rapidly swinging twin swords traced a set pattern. A white pain approached my head.

As my vision expanded, his movements slowed down.

This was a phenomenon created by instantaneous acceleration.

The twin swords swinging slowly drew their expected paths in the air.

As my opponent slowed down, I too felt the same effect. But I could discern the direction of the attack. I had read where he aimed and where his gaze was fixed.

Flowing like water, I deflected his twin swords twice.

Immediately afterward, I swung my sword quickly, using my body’s rotation.

In that moment, Andersen’s eyes moved rapidly, fixing on my sword. His gaze didn’t leave it until the end.

Clang-! Crack-!

A rising attack from below sliced through his belly.

His sword protected his body.

For just a brief moment, he had definitely reacted. He had forcibly twisted his arms to stop the attack and protect himself.

The white, burning headache lingered. The acceleration of thought still persisted.

Frowning, I stepped back. Andersen didn’t chase after me. He merely looked at me in disbelief, trembling.

We stood there, silently staring at each other. It was a stark contrast to the fierce fight waging among the other party members.

But it had to be that way.

I was surprised, and it seemed Andersen was just as startled.

This guy, he had momentarily matched my acceleration.

He had desperately twisted his sword to block the path of my blade.

The searing pain gradually settled. I calmly inspected Andersen.

Andersen opened his mouth, looking bewildered, confusion written all over his face.

A voice weakly emanated, mixed with negative emotions.

“That… That movement… Could it be, the choice of the gods…?”

“The choice of the gods?”

“That’s… wrong. How… How can a demon wield that which only those chosen by the gods can use…?”

Being a warrior who chose twin swords, it seemed his mind wasn’t entirely intact.

I took a deep breath, focusing once again.

The boiling blood surged to my head, and yet again, the white pain returned.

The world is vast.

I couldn’t assert that others didn’t inherit the same talents as me and Hwarang.

Andersen merely possessed talents similar to mine.

But.

How long can you keep up with that speed?

How long can you endure that blinding pain?

“Wait a moment!”

“Shut up! I’m going for the quest!”

As I charged toward Andersen, he panicked and retreated.

However, as if realizing there was no changing my mind, he bit his lip and swung his sword back at me.

Andersen, who reached similar specs, was not an easy opponent.

If he still possessed overwhelming specs like before, I could have crushed him by force, but that was impossible now.

Clang! Crash!

The heated blood stimulated my brain. The white pain accelerated my thoughts.

My eyes darted, reading all of his movements.

If you want to beat me, you too will have to use that talent.

I pressed Andersen harder, striking with my sword.

It was then that Andersen’s defense began changing.

His slowly moving gaze kept pace with my speed.

Reading every movement of my legs and arms, his gaze felt familiar.

It was the same gaze that always followed during my 1v1 duels with Hwarang.

I wondered just how long Andersen could maintain it.

Putting aside my simmering curiosity, I swung my sword.

Clang!

Both of us could anticipate each other’s moves.

Like a well-rehearsed play, his twin swords and my Demon Sword clung to each other like magnets.

Clang-!

Crack!

Ten seconds passed.

The boiling heat and pain were still bearable.

But unlike me, Andersen’s face contorted in agony.

Crash!

Fifteen seconds passed.

Problems began to arise in Andersen’s movements.

His gaze grew hazy. It was no longer precise enough to even tell where he was looking.

The movement of his twin swords wavered. The sharpness was fading away.

“Fifteen seconds elapsed.”

“W-What…!”

He realized what I was saying.

He understood that the time he could endure this white pain was limited to fifteen seconds.

A white wind came.

The unseen white wind brushed past both Andersen and me, and in that moment, his movements ceased.

Andersen, his time had run out.

Sixteen seconds.

From now on, this is my time.

Feeling the burning pain, I moved. Predicting all of my opponent’s movements, I dodged his attacks while my sword struck true.

Crack-!

“Ugh!”

A stark sense of helplessness appeared on Andersen’s face.

It was a strike aimed at his arm. The sword he was holding dropped.

Immediately after, I swung my sword again, rotating my body.

Just a moment too late, his sword struck where I had been standing.

One unchanging fact remained.

Andersen could never defeat me in a one-on-one.

It couldn’t be helped.

After all, it was me.

Swoosh-!

In a fleeting moment, I swung my sword.

Moving like a ghost, my blade successfully beheaded Andersen.

A clean cut.

Andersen’s head fell to the ground.